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Interactive Architecture: development and implementation into the built

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Article in European Journal of Technology and Design · March 2017

DOI: 10.13187/ejtd.2017.1.20

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 European Journal of Technology and Design, 2017, 5(1)

Copyright © 2017 by Academic Publishing House Researcher s.r.o.

Published in the Slovak Republic

European Journal of Technology and Design
Has been issued since 2013.
ISSN: 2308-6505
E-ISSN: 2310-3450
2017, 5(1): 20-25

DOI: 10.13187/ejtd.2017.1.20
www.ejournal4.com

Interactive Architecture: Development and Implementation

into the Built Environment

Kristina Boychenko a , *
a Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy

Abstract
The article explores Interactive Architecture as a new trend in design, based on
communication of user and space, the ability of space to respond in real time and to accommodate
different and changing needs of users in a more effective way, creating continuous relationship
between society and built environment. It describes the emergence and development of interactive
architecture, evolving through time, philosophy behind it and ways of implementation in the built
environment, studying realized projects and means and tools required to obtain specific structural
performance.
This article considers various types of interactive behavior, kinetic abilities and classification of
systems, ensuring the responsiveness of interactive architecture. It shows a new approach to
construction techniques and interdisciplinary collaboration of different fields, explaining why is it
important to consider new trends and introduce embedded computation into structure on the early
stages of design process in order to obtain the most effective spatial performance, ensured by
abilities of interactive design.
Keywords: Interactive architecture, responsive design, space, behavior, design, embedded
computation, structure, motion, information, swarm.

1. Introduction
The main key words of the modern life is the motion and the information. Now days it has
become more obvious because of the development of information sources and ability to get any
information fast and easy, and our habits to live in well-organized space full of devices
becoming more fantastic day after day. The further the technologies and development go – the
more requirements they meet and more questions they have to answer. In everyday life people
tend to look unconsciously for the answers on questions they haven’t asked yet. They want to be
aware of everything and to communicate with each other and with the environment, becoming
receivers, processors and mediums of the information. The static architecture is limited in its
ability to interact with the changing circumstances and what is more important, with the users.
It is frozen in one state while nowadays there is an ability to make it fluent, changing,
communicating with people. People need an immediate response from the surroundi ng area
and the modern technologies are able to provide it. Now the built environment can understand
itself and better perform its function. It can understand people within it and outside,
furthermore it can help them to understand themselves better.

*Corresponding author
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (K. Boychenko)

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 European Journal of Technology and Design, 2017, 5(1)

The dissolution of borders between silent and responsive, static and dynamic, emerges in
society. For instance, frontiers between body and machine, interior and exterior, virtual and real
tend to diminish thanks to innovation and technological progress. Nowadays, we can live at the
same time in both real and virtual space. Even the cities are organized according to both physical
and virtual activities. Therefore, one can wonder how to join these two extremes? How to keep the
identity of place and body in such a fluctuating world? How can architectural objects keep their
identity and, at the same time, be connected to the world, be everywhere? Stable identities as well
as fixed space are no longer possible, because they do not correspond to the reality of today’s world.
This introduces a transformation of the real and mental space. Such a conversion asks for the
invention of the new words and the new spaces, using new already invented techniques.
Interactive architecture is a recent phenomenon that is related to the development of new
technologies. Interactive architecture transformed into stream of information, claims its
continuous metamorphosis in space and time, it affirms the permeability between the body and the
technology, between the subject and the space. This reminds us the conception of the Flesh of
Merleau-Ponty, as the interactive architecture effaces the border between object and the subject.
The body is considered as an interlacing of vision and of movement (Mahdalickova, 2009).
Using emerging images, light, sound, moving and changing its spatial configuration
intelligent space makes the user sink into the atmosphere that is created for each of the
activities taken within it and able to project information in the outer shell. Smart environment
proposes the whole situation for the user to get involved into this conversation with the space,
full of information, hidden or exposed possibilities, choice of activities, details, games and even
jokes and allusions that the user is free to intemperate as his intelligence, experience and sense
of humor lets him to.
Frank Lloyd Wright re-phrased a well-known quote of his mentor Louis Sullivan by saying
that form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union. It can be not only a narration
about the space’s function, but also an invitation, an engagement, a promise or a warning of
what to expect of it. An answer on the questions before they appeared. In some way it should
actually foresee the question to respond in a most correct way ("Frank Lloyd Wright",
documentary).

2. Implementation into different space types

Numerous and widely diverse examples of interactive architecture, intelligent space and
responding environment can be found in
 Public spaces,
 Living space (House Automation),
 Working space,
 Kids' space, and
 Medical environment
Interactive architecture has great benefits in optimization of structural performance of the
building, especially when it has to deal not with people, but to response to the forces of nature.
Right implementation of modern technologies and embedded computation in sustainable
architecture can help in avoiding over-engineering, providing better climate control performance,
shaping a more comfortable internal environment and safety in seismic areas. Not even mentioning
how economically feasible it has become to use these technologies in improving energy
consumption of the buildings.

3. Development-Philosophy
According to Betsky the architecture is not allowed to be frozen. It has to glow in all senses,
to be like a fireplace gathering people around it, telling stories that unite us into a society (Cohen).
It's not enough just to build elegant compositions in plans and facades and to solve sculptural
problems in modern society conditions. Architects are still aimed to do it but they also have to do it
in terms of existing urban chaos, globalization and internet and mobile phones use, as Aaron
Betsky puts it. The construction of separated buildings is not enough anymore. Architects cannot
ignore the environment: messages and symbols, providing a non-stop information flow. In other

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words, a XXI century human lives in a reality different from the XX century, and the new shapes,
functions and spatioal solutions are needed to ensure good relationship with this new environment.
Architecture cannot idealize the reality and distance itself from modern life anymore, imitating
the styles from the past. The modern architecture knows no limits. It has no defined beginning and
end, it's presence is everywhere. Virtual and real are entwined in one infinite and continuous space.
Intangibility of architecture is the new feature of the modern times (Cohen).
Beauty comes from inside and at the same time is superimposed on the outer side of the
product. Buildings are the complex adaptive systems, communicating with both external and
internal environment (Belogolovskiy, 2006).
Interactive Architecture is architecture – interface, architecture – appliance. Interface defines
the parameters, procedures and characteristics of the objects' interaction. The appliance performs
the actions set by the interface. At the same interface can be built between the customer,
the designer, manufacturer and environment.
From the point of view of degree of interactivity, interaction can be divided into following
types:
• Linear interaction – when sent message is not related to previous messages;
• Reactive interaction – when message is related only to previous message;
• Interactive (Dialog) interaction – when the message is associated with a lot of previous
messages and with the relationship between the two (Interactivity, 2010).
In similar way that the inert gases are not mixed with other gases, the objects that are not
moving - do not communicate. Interaction is a kind of communication in motion. Interaction is not
possible without motion.

4. Changeability, Uncertainty
Essentially, all the products begin to live when they are in the hands of the consumer, after the
designer finished working on them. Project is a social process, it reinforces the idea of adaptation
as a basic human desire.
Interactivity here should be seen as an active dialogue, and as a reactive interaction, i.e.
corresponding to a single request. This adaptation can be expressed not only as an immediate
response to this request, but also as an assumption of the change embedded during the design
process.
The practice of post-occupancy evaluations (POE) is also relevant for considering this case.
This entails a visit and evaluation of building after it was built and occupied by residents.
Post-occupancy evaluation is intended not only for understanding how people actually use the
facility together and how do they change the environment if they feel such a necessity, but also for
the training of architects. It brings back the idea of the project as a process, and like the designers
of the need to engage in as much as possible with the products or events after they are built.
Most architectural projects do not imply regular post-occupancy evaluations because of financial
limits. It should be assumed that the interactive project can be carried about in a way that makes
financial sense, remaining equivalent to the post-occupancy evaluations (Hill, 2006).
The uncertainty principle works in Swarm Architecture. The result of the process is not
predictable in traditional sense. Although the system is playing by the rules, the game outcome
cannot be predicted. There are billions of possible outcomes, all of which are adequate as a
response to requests of the system. Some results are more favorable to some experts, some are
more favorable to the others, who limit the solution area, though still in the theory of infinity, a
specific number of opportunities/options responds within the area of solutions. Nevertheless as it
happens in sports, not all of the games are thrilling and beautiful. Strong and intelligent players are
required to start an exciting game, experienced designer with a strong desire is required to perform
with the best result. This understanding implies that the game takes place in accordance with the
principles of uncertainty, probability and chance of quantum mechanics, something unexpected
always might happen. Submitted in real-time the game is set for the unfolding fabric of reality.
The player can surrender, the player can be much better than expected. If the project does not start
the game, it is simply just modeling (Negroponte, 1995).

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5. Digital Environment
Architecture reached the boarder of the digital and postdigital era. Not having time to learn
and try out all the achievements of screen technologies, it began an experiment of reification of
potential of information. Buildings are appointed with media properties of a screen, or on the
higher level, turning them into polyactive gadgets with many interaction directions (Eshun, 2000).
In recent years architecture as a screen acquired a larger scale due to the simplification of the
technological representation and relative cheapness and diversity in the interpretation of the
Screen with its' pixel characteristics. The pixels are the data carriers, going through active
development. The screens can be divided into two types according to the Pixel performance:
 surface screen projects
 mechanical screen projects
The surface screen projects include those that use light, representing the bacteria, the
metamorphosis of materials. Such projects include the D-Tower by Lars
Finally architecture started to be based on it's changing performance in time, it's no more only
simulation within isolated sectors of design process, it is a space-time experience. The experience
of swarm architecture when the visitors start being connected through network, they communicate
and flock together. Knowledge connects them, their intelligence is common, their contribution in
collective design process gains effectiveness, growing in geometrical progression, that can be
expressed through an equation of multiplication instead of summing up the contribution of each
member. Independent intelligence is negligibly small in comparison with common one, when
knowledge, sense, wisdom, emotions are now born in connection with the others. Development and
very existence of any component of the system require network of similar components, ensuring
the information exchange between them. The world becomes a whole installation space, the space
that is being computed, creates new unexpected events by itself. The buildings are the new
interface between the external environment conditions and the users (Mel, 2011).

6. Self organization
The world now goes through a technological revolution, the internet is going to be substituted
by the new super-network, the grid, that would allow to use computational power remotely.
This new network-environment would be able to visualize processing, memory and the
communication, and to transform the computer resources of the world into a giant multi-processor
with almost unlimited computational capability.
It is argued that architecture stands out in its ability to synthesize large number of mediums
involved in the formation of design. Information exchange era brought non-trivial and
simultaneously legible synthesis into high demand and increased engagement with complexity, so
now architecture possesses a powerful tool to start the way towards applications beyond what is
traditionally understood as a domain of design.
The matter as information enabled by computation brings architecture to the whole new level
of operating information from the finer-grain physics of matter. This not only expands technically
enriched material formations, but also activates previously hidden material powers toward designs
beyond our anticipation in both formal imagination and performance.
The conception of swarm architecture introduced by Kas Oosterhuis may be considered as an
alternative of accumulated super-power, in which all the members of the system behave according
to specific algorithms, estimated by each member independently. This concept does not exclude
possibility of all the elements' actions being controlled by one central computing node, distributing
the computational power of all the grid (Oosterhuis, 2003).

7. Relationship between the nodes

One of the front men of integration virtual reality technologies and interactive architecture
concepts, Kas Oosterhuis, develops his ideas through a system of easy rules, alternative to a system
of data streaming. These ideas are based on some of the existing concepts, such as the Smart Dust
(grids of very small simple, low-powered devices dubbed "motes" that monitor the environment
and wirelessly pass data to a central collection point for analysis. The motes are linked to sensors
which detect temperature, air flow or humidity, and wirelessly inform systems which monitor
building security or manufacturing processes. The swarm basically is a Fractal Robot, made up of

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trillions of smaller bots, the active polymorphic materials made up of tiny identical nano-robots or
foglets) or the Flock behavior.
This concept is based on construction of local relationshops, where the each node or each
member of the system is aware of the neighbour but not aware of the whole system (the swarm,
according to Oosterhuis) performance. Here the intelligence can not be programmed using top-to-
bottom methods, it has to be a result of bottom-up evolution process of the system of members
(nodes) relationship. This king of intelligence does not have to be intelligent by it's nature, it can
emerge from a well organized collaboration of relatively stupid elements, all together they are able
to create complex intelligence. This intellect should not be compared to human intellect though, it
is more the a degree of communication complexity between different levels of operating devices.
The same definition of intelligence works with the human brain functioning, transportation systes,
expanding and reduction of citiesTaking into consideration understanding of this concept, the
conclusion can be done: building components are similar to the motes, sending and receiving
information. communicationg with the peering components of the same scale and to the other
components on the otther level of the hyerarchy (Pister et al., 1999).
Interactive building behaves as a swarm, in which building elements are the members of the
swarm. The members are a family with a large number of embedded computers and over time and
technological development this number will increase. Some members have more intelligence, the
others have less, but they are all important for the system. Each of them is rather stupid, as a bird,
who needs to be just smart enough to stay in the swarm, operating only a limited amount of
information for its task performance. The flocking behavior can be described in three simple rules:
 Cohesion: fly towards the centroid of the local flockmates;
 Separation: keep a certain distance away from nearest flockmates;
 Alignment: align the velocity vector with that of the local flock;
For a more precise parametric control over the flock two more rules can be added:
 Evasion: avoid occupying the same local airspace with the nearest flockmate. Evasion is a
localized form of separation;
 Migration: fly toward a pre-specified location.
Similar rules can be implied to develop parameters and main algorithms of the building
behavior. The building elements behave like intelligent elements, flocking the herd, re-configuring
themselves in real time. Building elements behave like boids. Swarm behavior of building boids is
evolution in progress since it immerses digital life into our daily lives and into the very fabric of
building materials. Building boids are senders and receivers of information, exchanging data,
processing incoming data, and proposing new configurations as the outcome of the process
(Oosterhuis, 2003).
Nevertheless the different shapes of flocks are recognizable as a complex whole.
The importance of architectural design process here is that the whole structure performance should
not be determined in its' exact and complete form, in advance setting all the individual components
into a consistent whole. The designer can work with simple rules that start generating relevant data
with the associated positions of nodes for the production of mass customization. Also the behavior
of nodes may be used to form the shape of the construction by setting the area of the moving flocks
by limiting their space and leaving a valid possibility for movement, as each building or it's
component must take into account the presence of other objects in their urban context.
Generally everything surrounding us in space and everything we see around, every car, every
street, every town is based on simple calculations, creating a complex behavior that for which it is
almost impossible to recognize and track all the rules. The only way to find them out is to run the
system, to design a system that is based on simple rules generating complexity. This assumption
potentially turns the designers into researchers, that need to set complex systems and operate
them. Performative architecture brings the designer to genetic core of what we see around us.

8. Senses
With the development of new technical capabilities, "smart objects" start being able to receive
a lot of information from the external environment. The people's behavior is a significant part of
this environment. This leads to necessity of understanding the feedback with the world and the
notion of "family of smart objects" in our environment that can communicate with us and with

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each other by sending messages using the built-in microprocessors which are giving different
information. A lot of these components are designed to capture information from the environment,
such as temperature, light levels, wind speed and noise. Some components are able to receive
simple messages from the man. They feel our presence radiated heat or movement and react in
some way (Mel, 2011).
The ultimate goal of Swarm architecture is to keep its' new structures up-to dated in real time.
The objective of information architecture projects is to support the vitality of the process and apply
the values to the behavior in real-time, to understand how can the designers create a tunnel for a
continuous flow of data within the built structure, where the content is constantly changing in real
time? To facilitate this fundamentally new view of the world, we have to look at the building as if
they are appliances that can be run in real-time. Dynamic buildings can be considered as existing
processes that continuously inform users and are informed themselves continuously during other
active processes. They are the active nodes in a complex adaptive operating network.

9. Conclusion
Using the new techniques, people cooperate to create efficient buildings, which are considered
as highly applicable processes. The buildings become active installations, where multiple control
devices are constantly communicating with other control devices, their users and their
environment. We know from practice that there is a large proportion of the budget devoted to
electrical and mechanical installations for every building, taking up to 30 % of the total budget.
In the bright future of buildings, the entire structure will be interpreted as the installation.
Projecting current trends into the near future, it makes sense to consider all the components of
built structure as active members of the installation. The building becomes the instrument,
it becomes an installing itself (Andrasek).
The importance of Interactive Architecture in fast developing society with new fascinating
technologies is hard to overestimate from different points of view. It brings physical, social,
psychological and economical benefits. There are no doubts it will find more and more
implementations in modern Architecture.

References
Mel, 2011 – Alexenberg Mel (2011). The Future of Art in a Postdigital Age: From Hellenistic to
Hebraic Consciousness" (Bristol and Chicago: Intellect Books/University of Chicago Press).
Andrasek – Alisa Andrasek. Open Synthesis. Toward a Resilient Fabric of Architecture",
[Electronic resource]. URL: http://www.anycorp.com/log/25).
Ken, Novick Lynn, 1984 – Burns Ken, Novick Lynn (1984). Frank Lloyd Wright, documentary
film, (Pbs Home Video).
Hill, 2006 – Hill (2006). Architecture and interaction design, via adaptation and hackability,
at City of Sound.
Mahdalickova, 2012 – Eva Mahdalickova (2012). New Experiences of the Body Through
Space", Implications philosophiques, 2009. Web. 30 April 2012.
Interactivity, 2010 – Interactivity (2010). [Electronic resource]. URL: http://hameleon-
ed.livejournal.com
Oosterhuis, 2003 – Kas Oosterhuis (2003). Hyperbodies. Toward an E-motive Architecture.
Testo & Immagine, Turin, 51-54.
Eshun, 2000 – Kodwo Eshun (2000). Unidentified Audio Event Arrives from Post-Computer
Age, in Jem Finer, (MIT Press).
Pister et al., 1999 – K. S. J. Pister, J. M. Kahn and B. E. Boser (1999). Smart Dust: Wireless
Networks of Millimeter-Scale Sensor Nodes. Highlight Article (Electronics Research Laboratory
Research Summary).
Cohen – Michael Cohen. Design Principles for intelligent Environments. In Proceedings of the
Fifteens National Conference on Artificial intelligence.
Negroponte, 1995 – Nicholas Negroponte (1995). Being Digital, (Alfred A. Knopf).
Belogolovskiy, 2006 – Vladimir Belogolovskiy (2006). Interview with Aaron Betsky,
Architectural herald, №2(89).

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